


A Christmas Keyblade Master

by RoyalMoonBunny



Series: Christmas Tri(nity) [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Christmas Angst, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Beta, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22031833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyalMoonBunny/pseuds/RoyalMoonBunny
Summary: If he'd known there was a dangerous, insane man in Radiant Garden, he would've stocked up way better. Surviving that and Riku rummaging around his memories is a little too much for one day.In sum: Sora fights someone way out of his league, flips over Riku figuring out his feelings, and goes to the Christmas ball with his newly dubbed family.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Christmas Tri(nity) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1583710
Comments: 67
Kudos: 215





	1. Ardyn The Red-Haired Villain (had a very shiny crystal)

**Author's Note:**

> Last in the series! I hope y'all enjoyed this crazy ride.  
> Alternative title: Take a shot every time Riku says Sora's name.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora bites off more than he can chew. Riku comes to the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion Soundcloud playlist available (link in profile)!

When he woke up, he was all over Riku. 

Legitimately all over him. His left leg had thrown itself over his best friend’s slim hips, his arms tucked between him and Riku’s warm side. The taller boy’s shirt had ridden up at some point in the night, baring his abdomen to the morning light. His breathing was soft and slow. Sora hummed in contentment. He liked it when he got to see Riku sleep. It was rare to see him so peaceful. And here Sora was demonstrating what it was like to be a dusk, apparently. 

Mentally chiding himself for checking Riku out, Sora set out to untangle himself from his best friend. Thank god Riku slept on his back. He breathed a sigh in relief when there was a good couple inches space between them, ignoring the way his body screamed to return to the warmth. No trouble for him this morning, thank you very much. 

“Going somewhere?” Riku asked, eyes still closed. 

Sora froze, hoping if he stayed still long enough Riku would think he went back to sleep. Before he could close his eyes to pretend, Riku turned his head and locked him into place with cerulean eyes, smiling knowingly. “Good morning, Sora.” 

And maybe it was Riku’s voice, sleep-deep and heavy, that made him falter. Or maybe it was his bedhead, which was endearing with his new haircut. Or maybe it was the fact that Riku had dove into his heart for the second time and seen even more personal, soul-bearing stuff that Sora would never openly show anyone else. In any case, he felt a well of embarrassment overcome him and turned to face the other wall to avoid showing his definitely now-red face.

“Sora?” Riku called, chuckling lightly. “You know I know you’re awake, right?” 

“No, I’m not,” Sora responded, clutching the plush pillow under him closer. He yelped as the world suddenly shifted to Riku’s face and batted away his best friend’s hands playfully. “Hey! Stop manhandling me!” 

Riku smirked at him. “No.” 

Sora huffed, blowing air in his face so he’d close his eyes and then open them slowly. “You suck.” 

Riku blinked at him, not taking the bait. They stared at each other long enough that Sora’s smile fell from his face, and his eyes narrowed on Riku’s pink lips - so very close. It had been so easy to lean in with Ryder, who he barely liked. This was magnetic, Sora realized, this was inevitable. He’d complained about how bogus destiny was to Riku the night before, but here it was, staring at him in the grey morning light. He wanted it more than anything. 

“Sora,” Riku whispered, eyes shifting back and forth to each of his.

“Yeah,” Sora answered distractedly, watching the distance close slowly. 

“What are you doing?” Riku asked, tone unchanging. 

Sora stopped, reality clicking firmly into his brain. Don’t make a scene, he told himself as he casually leaned back, back, _back_ to his part of the bed. 

“Whoa!” Riku laughed, tugging him close again. “You’re gonna fall off.” 

Sora laughed shakily, not able to think of a response because he almost kissed Riku and Riku _saw it_. There was no way he didn’t know what Sora was trying to do. 

“Hey,” Riku insisted, brushing Sora’s bangs back to see his face. Sora whined, blushy and awkward, and shoved his hand away to secure his safe hair cover. Riku laughed fondly. “What’s gotten into you?”

Sora whined again into Riku’s chest, at a loss over how to behave, what to do, and what to say. 

“I haven’t seen you this shy since the day we met,” Riku said teasingly. 

Sora huffed at the reference. He’d been playing on a jungle gym near their library, mom sitting and reading on a nearby bench. He was trying to master everything on the play structure, working his way up to the monkey bars. But this time around his hands had been a little too sweaty, and he freaked out about that a little too much. He was falling before he knew it, braced for impact on tanbark. It never came. He’d peeked his eyes downward to see a silver-haired boy holding his legs up by the back of his thighs. The boy - Riku - was obviously older than him, but not by much. Enough to make a substantial difference in height and strength though. Riku secured their friendship with only three simple statements. 

“Come on! Try again! I’ll follow you down here in case you fall.” And that was the first day Sora ever successfully crossed the monkey bars. The day he met Riku. 

“You’re lucky I was there,” Riku teased him, poking at his sides. “You might’ve broken something. Shame, I could’ve avoided meeting you if I hadn’t stepped in.”

Sora jolted, ticklish, before retorting, “Please, you’d have been bored without me by your side.” 

“True,” Riku hummed. “So, should we get up and get something to eat? I’m assuming Cinderella has something out for all of us.” 

“Yeah,” Sora agreed, yawning and pushing himself to his feet. Grateful that his unfortunate almost-kiss-attempt wasn’t being addressed further. “Let’s go.” 

They left the room and walked down the hallways in tandem. Sora liked that, how they seemed to link up to each other automatically. He stopped at the end of the path, realizing he didn’t remember getting to his room at all last night. Riku grabbed his wrist and dragged them down the stairs. 

“Ven said you passed out while he was getting you to the castle. He got you to your room before his gravity spell wore off. Gave everyone a scare,” Riku said, answering the question he hadn’t voiced. 

“Do you think they’ll be mad at me?” Sora wondered aloud. 

Riku looked at him over his shoulder in disbelief. “Sora, I think they should worry about that, not you.” 

Sora huffed and admired the elaborate wreaths on the doors they passed by, slapping at some tinsel on an archway for good measure. “But I lied to them. I lied to everyone.” 

Riku snorted. “So? At the end of the day, they should have believed in your judgement instead of fighting you. I learned that lesson a long time ago.” 

The hallway opened up to a grand lobby, filled with bustling servants carrying unlit candles and silverware and flowers. It reminded Sora a whole lot of Arendelle’s pre-Yule antics. Riku smiled at him and arched a brow, thinking the same thing. The breakfast room was easy enough to find by Ven’s loud voice commenting on the french toast. Just as they were about to step in, Sora spotted Cinderella hanging ornaments next to the dining room. He paused, silently telling Riku to go ahead, and approached the princess of heart. 

She turned to greet him, smiling happily. “Sora! I’m so relieved to see you’re alright.”

He stepped forward and accepted her hug, admiring the homespun, embroidered apron she was wearing. “Yeah, thanks. I’m sorry for worrying you. It was a little harder out there than expected.” 

She nodded. “Your teammates told me. We’re all so grateful that you came along. I’m not sure what we would have done otherwise. The Christmas celebration is tonight, after all!” She jingled a bell ornament to accent her statement. 

“It’s our job! Don’t worry about it." Sora picked up a glass bell, helping her decorate. “So, have you done this every year?” 

“No,” Cinderella admitted, smoothing down a branch. “Just for the last five. Before that, I wasn’t allowed to do much of anything here. It was infuriating.” 

Sora tilted his head in confusion. “Really? How come?” 

Cinderella hummed, fixing her hair in the reflection of a blue ornament. “When I first came to the castle, people thought I couldn’t handle royal responsibilities like event planning or charity events. They thought since I didn’t have a grand education, I couldn’t manage the normal duties of a princess.” 

“What’d you do?” Sora asked curiously, admiring a teddy bear he’d just placed on the tree. 

“I proved them wrong,” she said proudly. “I rolled up my sleeves, worked hard, and showed them I could do it. That may have involved lying to a couple of people to make them give me a chance, but I refuse to be one of those rulers who didn’t make a difference.” 

Sora nodded. “Yeah, doesn’t sound like you at all. Still sucks that you had to resort to that, though.” 

Cinderella fiddled with the blue Christmas lights and sighed. “But it’s okay. Now I’ve proven that I can lead. I’ve even made a few charities of my own, you know, for girls here that need good educations.” 

“That’s amazing,” Sora said, proud of the princess. “I wish I could do something like that.” 

Cinderella turned to consider him. “Why don’t you? You’d be great at it!” Sora scoffed, prompting Cinderella to put her hands on her hips in mock anger. “Sora, really. You’re a hero but you’re also a good friend to all of us royals. I’m certain we’d all help you get something off the ground. We don’t have any programs that span across any of our worlds.”

Sora licked his lips nervously. “Yeah, I’ve kinda thought about that before.”

Cinderella clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh! I hope you’ll give it a try!” 

Seeing her so excited about it made him excited too. He felt a cautious sprig of optimism sprout inside of him and sighed. The question wasn’t if he was capable, it was how he’d achieve such a feat and how he’d explain it to Master Yen Sid. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint someone, or even worse, make everyone else’s job harder. 

xXx

“Sora, these are so pretty!” Xion gushed, poking excitedly at the ornaments above them in the gummiship. Elsa’s ice ornament was holding up to her word, being made from the same unmeltable substance of Ahtollahan’s caves. Elegant curves of blue wrapped around in a spiral held up by a golden ribbon. Anna had included it for hanging before asking Elsa to make exactly 16 more. Next to it was a strange grey and black fabergé egg that came in the gift basket Jack had given him, dotted with pink specks. And next to that one was a gleaming, glittery key with jingle bells that Xion had pointed out to him in Christmas town. 

“I know!” Sora smiled, fiddling with the new blue ornament Cinderella had gifted him. “I’m trying to get one in every world we visit.” He stretched his arms up and attached the reflective ball onto the velcro handle with the others, smiling at the embossed carriage silhouette that shone back at him. “Maybe we’ll find something in Radiant Garden!”

Riku had left their party shortly after a very tense, silent breakfast. His assignment was all the way in Wonderland, but he insisted on pulling Sora aside to discuss their heart-diving project. 

“So,” he breathed. “That last fracture in your heart. Want to fix it tonight?” 

Sora made an unsure noise. “I don’t think either of us will be finished with patrol in time to meet up.” 

Riku smirked at him as if he’d thought of something Sora hadn’t yet. “We don’t need to. Now that I’ve unlocked your heart to mine again, I can dive in from anywhere during your dreams. Game to try?”

Sora perked up, happy knowing his and Riku’s connection was stronger. “Oh! Yeah, good plan! I’ll see you tonight, then.” 

His best friend ruffled his hair fondly and chuckled. “Yeah, tonight.” 

When it was just him and his companions once more, Xion had immediately thrown herself into apologizing for what had happened. Sora had accepted it with a sigh, glancing at the mute twins next to them and shaking his head in dismay. It’d been a full twenty minutes since they’d taken off and still neither of them said a word. Sora bit his lip and continued steering toward Radiant Garden, listening to Xion talk about how excited she was for the King’s ball tomorrow. “But what are we going to tell Master Yen Sid?” she abruptly asked.

“What do you mean?” Sora frowned, looking from the stars to her concerned face. 

“Well, if we tell him Vanitas is back, he might call in Aqua and Terra to go...you know,” Xion murmured, gaze downcast. “But if we don’t tell him, we’ll get in trouble, won’t we?” 

Sora heard Roxas shift on his left, a clear sign that his Other had an opinion that he was withholding. Ventus gave no reaction to her statement at all. Sora wanted to say he was torn, but he wasn’t. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. “We don’t tell him,” Sora said firmly, clutching the wheel as if it could steel his resolve. If he learned anything from his forced psychotherapy last night, it was that his very soul was exhausted from playing by other people’s rules. This felt right to him, and so it had to be worth fighting for. “Emphasis on the we,” he added.

Xion seemed taken aback, turning to the twins in shock. From his rearview mirrors, Sora saw Ventus’s and Roxas’s attention finally snap to him. “Wait, really?” Roxas asked. 

“Yeah, really,” Sora affirmed. 

“What if we don’t agree?” Ventus asked politely, but directly. 

“Then you’ll deal with the outcome, not me,” Sora said lightly. “But if you go after him, I can’t guarantee that you won’t have to fight me too.” 

“You never did tell us,” Xion pointed out carefully. “Why you care about him so much? Or why he’s here?”

Sora sighed, pulling them into the last warp. It would only be 10 minutes till they landed. Maybe that was enough time to come clean. “He was in my heart with you guys; you knew that. Originally, I thought he was why I went into antiform every so often. I was wrong. He was the reason I could pull back from it easily every time. He was helping me, in his own way.”

Ventus made a strange noise, like he wanted to say something but stopped. Sora took that as a sign to continue. “When he disappeared, he didn’t really die. I found him like I found Kairi, and took him back into my heart. I couldn’t just leave him there, you know?” Sora sighed. “ When I left to the Final World, he came with me. We separated in Shibuya, this huge city that was kind of like limbo. There’s this trial there. If you win, you come back to life. Otherwise, you stay dead. Vanitas and I automatically separated because bodies are irrelevant, and the realm registered two souls, not one.” 

“Is this the same place Riku went to?” Xion asked. 

“Yeah,” Sora confirmed. “But by the time he’d gotten there, things had changed. It’s a long story, but some old friends and I stopped the moderators from ruling over the city. When we did, we realized there was a way to bring everyone back, so we did it. Riku showed up just before that happened. Then got sent back in the same day.” Sora laughed. “He’s so impatient.” 

“And so Vanitas came back too,” Ventus surmised. “As his own person this time.” 

Sora nodded, seeing Radiant Garden pull up on his screens. “But he’s different now. He helped me out when he didn’t have to over there. And now, I think he’s just upset about how everything turned out. If I were him, I’d be acting out too.” 

“You’re just saying that because he looks like you,” Roxas frowned. “You’d never do the things he’s done.” 

Sora selected their landing location and turned to consider Roxas. “That kind of thinking stops you from caring about people, Roxas. We all do unimaginable things when we’re in pain. Doesn’t mean any of us are better than him.” 

The gummiship was silent as he landed. Xion sighed for him, getting up and walking into the cold grey morning. Sora followed, not bothering to spare a glance at his other two companions. 

“So, where do we check first?” Xion asked him, walking steadily toward the main market square. 

Sora hummed. “Maybe let’s go see Leon and the others first. They’ll know if anything weird has been going on.” 

Xion agreed, looking up at the large orbs of christmas lights that lined the causeway. The square itself was busy, and if he squinted, Sora could just make out Scrooge selling his ice cream in the distance. Surprisingly, there was a line for it that circled around the shop. “How could people want ice cream in this weather?” he asked rhetorically.

“How dare you,” Xion accused, hitting his arm. “Ice cream is worth freezing over, especially if it’s sea salt.” 

Sora laughed, rubbing his arm in mock hurt as they walked over to Scrooge’s. “Oh, Xi look!” he commented, pointing at a hanging sign the said HOLIDAY SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION. “They’re selling sea salt peppermint ice cream! We gotta get it now!” Sora’s mouth watered as he watched a man carefully walk by them with a stick of it, blue as usual but with a strip of white swirling up and around it. Small candy sprinkles that were red, white, and green poked out of it. 

“I thought you said it was too cold,” Xion teased, dragging him into line. “If only the other two were here with us,” she sighed, looking back in hopes that Ventus and Roxas would suddenly appear.

“Was I too mean?” Sora asked her, shoulders dropping. “I just wanted to stand up for myself-”

“No, Sora,” Xion told him, eyes genuine. “That was amazing. You’re right, you know. They just have their tails between their legs. It’ll take them a while to get over it.” They moved up in the line as she sent him a smile. “Besides, when do we ever get to hang out, just you and me?”

“You’ve got a point there.” Sora grinned, hands behind his head. “I can’t wait for this ice cream!” 

“This is weird,” a man with blond hair complained next to them, ice cream in hand. “Why is it salty?” 

His friend, a tall man with glasses, scoffed. “Prompt, the sign says it was sea salt ice cream. What did you expect?” 

The younger man whined. “I thought it was just a name. I don’t like it Iggy, you take it.” 

“Fine,” the man with glasses chuckled, licking it experimentally. “What in gods name are you complaining about? The tension between sweet and salty is perfect and drives the flavors out-”

“Ugh,” ‘Prompt’ spat, throwing his hands in the air. “I just want normal ice cream in between hunting for this stupid guy. Is that too much to ask for?”

‘Iggy’ shrugged. “Perhaps. But lucky for you, I think I’ve just come up with a new recipe.” 

“If it is exactly this I will hit you,” Prompt threatened. “Now let’s go find the others. They should be finished talking to the committee by now.” 

Sora and Xion turned to each other. “The committee?” they mouthed to one another in unison. 

“Gotta be Leon,” Sora affirmed, walking up to the front of the line and smiling widely at Scrooge. “Hey Scrooge! Can we have two of the holiday specials?” 

“Ah! Sora my boy! Of course,” he exchanged their munny for treats. “And, ah, Donald told me what happened to ye. He was beside himself with grief when ye disappeared.”

Sora frowned. “Oh, really? He told me he didn’t worry at all because he knew I was coming back.”

“Ah,” Scrooge laughed, tilting his glasses back to his eyes. “My nephew has trouble expressing himself adequately. Just know he loves ye dearly. We’re happy to have you back, son.” 

Sora chuckled, a little more emotional from the conversation than he wanted to be. “Yeah, thanks. It’s good to be back.” And really, it was. He and Xion ambled to the restoration committee's house, commenting on the ice cream and talking about holiday treats.

“The peppermint flavor was better in Christmas Town,” Xion said, frowning. 

“Well I hope so,” Sora replied. “They’re expected to do it best.” 

“Hey Sora?” she asked when they’d finished their ice cream. “Do you think we can go again next year? Like the four of us?” 

Sora looked at her in surprise. “Oh, yeah. If you wanted to. It could be like a tradition or something, if they ever talk to me again.” 

Xion sighed. “It’s hard on all of us, I think, having to communicate with thoughts instead of feelings or dreams. It was easier when we shared a heart with you.” She looked at him calculatingly. “You know that they both love you, right?”

Sora blinked at her. “Uh, they do?”

Xion mock-glared. “Seriously, Sora? We were inside your heart and you fought tooth and nail to one, protect us, and two, get us out when we could have our own bodies. You saved us. How could we not love you?” 

“I dunno,” Sora said offhandedly, kicking a loose pebble down the road. “I always wondered if you thought of my heart as a prison.” 

“A prison?” Xion laughed. “No, Sora, in the end it was a sanctuary. For all of us. I think they’re having a hard time figuring out when to get involved in your life and when to stay out of it. We were observers for so long. Now that we’re here with you, some of us are feeling a little overprotective,” she sheepishly confessed.

“Overprotective?” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Sora, I can guarantee you the reason Roxas was hell-bent on getting to Vanitas was because he was worried about you. Ventus too, though he seems to have a more level head about it than Roxas and I,” she explained. “Still, for what it’s worth. I’m sorry, again.” She lowered her head before popping it back up in excitement. “Hey! Maybe if we get Vanitas to be less violent, he could come with us to Christmas town next year!”

“What?” he yelled comically. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, why not?” she yelled back, hands on her hips. “He just needs to mellow out a little bit.” 

“A little?!” Sora laughed, pushing open the door to the restoration committee’s office. “I think more than a little. Can you imagine him in one of those outfits?”

The room was exactly the same as he’d left it. The large computer directly in front of him was being manned by a grumbling Cid, whose back was turned to them. Aerith spotted them first, book poised to be put away on the far shelf. “Oh, Sora!” she called, drawing the attention of the rest of the occupants in the room. “What a surprise!” 

Sora met her halfway, hugging hello. “Yeah, it’s been a while. This is Xion. I think Kairi told you about her?” 

“Yes, she has,” Aerith commented, extending her hand cheerfully. “Nice to meet you, Xion. I’m Aerith.” 

Xion shyly shook her hand, pushing a bang back over her ear. “Nice to meet you too.” 

“Sora,” Leon said curtly from the large table, map of Radiant Garden on display. Cloud raised a hand in greeting next to him. At the same table were two men that Sora did not recognize. 

“Hey,” the big, muscular man said. “Name’s Gladio.” 

The smaller man blinked at him, and Sora blinked back, feeling the floaty sensation of deja vu run between them. “I’m Noctis,” the man finally said. 

“Sora, and whoever you are,” Leon called out. “Could you come here for a second?” 

They looked at each other and walked over, taking in the marked locations atop the map curiously. “What’s up?” Sora asked casually. 

“We have a situation,” Leon replied bluntly. “These two here have reason to believe that a very dangerous man is walking around Radiant Garden. He has high levels of magic and is prone to attack at random.” 

Sora stared at Cloud. “And it isn’t Sephiroth?” 

Cloud shook his head. “Nope.”

“His name is Arydn,” Noctis said, eyes focused on the map. “And it’s my fault he’s here. I need to track him down before he does any damage to your world.” 

“It’s all hands on deck,” Leon commented. “Yuffie is already out there with Dilan and Aeleus. If you could investigate The Great Maw, that’d narrow down our search considerably.” 

“And two of ours are out patrolling too,” Gladio added. “Ignis and Prompto.” 

Xion and Sora shared a brief look at that statement. Patrol didn’t traditionally mean getting ice cream, did it? “Alright,” Sora said. “Xion and I’ll text Ven and Roxas - they’re here too. We’ll contact you if we see or hear anything.” 

They broke the meeting, Xion texting rapidly as they ran to their destination. “Well,” she said after they sent the messages. “This isn’t exactly what we were looking for, but we are helping, I guess.” 

“A hero’s work is never done,” Sora said, turning the corner. “This guy can’t be as much of a pain as Sephiroth.” 

Famous last words. 

Arydn hit them fast and out of nowhere. There was nowhere to hide in The Great Maw, so they were left with no choice but to dodge roll and block attacks.

“What is with this guy?” Sora asked Xion as they evaded another set of lasers. “Hey, stop attacking us!” he called to Ardyn.

“How about no,” Ardyn drawled. “I don’t need you telling Noct where I am.” He sent a blast Xion’s way, knocking her out cold. “There’s some similarity between you two, but I can’t put my finger on it. How meddlesome.”

“Xion!” Sora called, torn between an opening and curing her. He hesitated for a half a second too long, he realized, when a kick to his abdomen sent in crashing into the mountainside. Sora pried his eyes open as Ardyn made his way to Xion, blade flaring red. He panicked, trying to pick himself up but failing to. There’s no way he’d get there in time. 

Sora grasped his heart and tugged, accessing Riku’s D-Link. He briefly felt Riku’s surprise, followed by extreme concern, before being flooded with strength. Ardyn was flying through the air before he knew it, and Sora hastily cast curaga to wake Xion. “Xion! Hey, wake up!” he called to her. She didn’t stir. Ardyn’s laughter jolted him back to standing, taking a defensive position to protect his friend.

“Goodness,” the man drawled, brushing pebbles off his shoulders casually. “I suppose I underestimated you.” He set his fedora back atop his head and narrowed his eyes. “We really can’t have you running around with that kind of power, can we?” 

Ardyn was on him in a second, relentlessly striking Ultima over and over. Sora gasped at the force of it, drawing on the power of the D-link to shove him bodily back. Ardyn’s eyes locked onto the glowing spot atop his heart, a visible manifestation of his connection to Riku, and stared at it. “You possess some kind of crystal, don’t you?” Arydn breathed. “It doesn’t belong to you. Give it to me!” 

Sora yelped, flipping into aerial recovery after the man had landed a good hit to his side. It wasn’t good enough, he realized as Ardyn met him in the air with laser swords - eerily similar to Xemnas’s. He felt one, two, five, seven, combo hits before slamming painfully into the ground. 

The D-link abruptly vanished, his body physically unable to keep the magic running. Sora groaned, getting to his feet and bouncing back in time to avoid a swipe.

Arydn laughed. “See! You aren’t strong enough to possess what you do. Surrender the crystal!” 

Sora gagged as a blue light wrapped around his neck and tugged, disabling him long enough for Ardyn to get a critical hit. He was dangerously low on HP and unable to get a break to heal. Was he really going to go like this? Back to the Final World, with no hope of coming back this time? He closed his eyes, expecting a finishing blow to come down. A jarring clank of metal on metal stirred him to open his eyes. 

“Who the fuck are you,” Vanitas demanded, poised in front of him. 

Ardyn smirked. “I could ask you the very same question. Are you two brothers? I can see the resemblance. Ask nicely and I’ll let you keep his corpse.” 

Vantias roared a battle cry and flew at him. 

Sora panted, shaking hands reaching into his pocket to grab a hi-elixir. His vision was blurring so badly that he couldn’t get his hand to uncork the bottle. He wanted to cry after the fourth attempt, but stopped when another hand grasped it tightly, tilting his head up and having him drink. When Sora opened his eyes again, he was met with the most worried look he’d ever seen on Roxas’s face. 

“Sora, please tell me you’re okay,” he said, eyes darting over him. “Does your head hurt?” 

Sora groaned. “I think I’m okay. But Xion-”

“Is with Ven,” Roxas finished. “We just texted Leon and the others. They’re on their way.”

Sora nodded, turning his attention to the clash of black and red in front of them. “That’s Vanitas,” Sora said lamely. “He saved us.” 

Roxas frowned, looking at the blur. “I know. We saw him step in just as we got over the hill. But he’s getting slower. I think even Vanitas can’t match this guy.” 

Roxas was right. Sora noticed it too, the lag between combos that shouldn’t be there. “Roxas,” he asked, prompting his Other to look at him again. “Roxas, can you please do something for me?”

Roxas’ eyes widened. “Yeah, name it.” 

Sora exhaled. “Help him.” 

A flurry of emotions played across his Other’s eyes, ending with determination. “Alright, stay here.” Sora nodded, watching him summon Oathkeeper and Oblivion before jumping in. He couldn’t say what happened next, as the battle was a little too fast for his maybe-concussed head to follow. All he knew was, eventually, when they’d settled back on the ground, Roxas and Vanitas were winded on one side and Ardyn was wiping a trail of blood from his mouth on the other. 

“If you touch either of them again,” Roxas threatened, “I’ll kill you!” 

“And when he fails,” Vanitas yelled. “I’ll actually kill you!” 

“Excuse me?” Roxas threw at Vanitas. “Fuck you!” 

Before Vanitas could answer, a blur of purple and black rippled out from Arydn. Maniacal laughter permeated Sora’s very bones as the surrounding air crackled dangerously. Large plates of red energy circled their enemy and glowed in his eyes. Sora didn’t see him move. One moment he was standing yards away from Roxas and Vanitas, the next he had barrelled into them, doing an insane amount of damage in one hit. They were both tossed a sizable distance away and laid there, unmoving. 

“Roxas! Vanitas!” Sora called to them, wishing he had enough magic to cast curaga. 

“Now then," Arydn purred, sauntering his way to Sora. “Let’s see what that crystal of yours looks like." 

Sora gasped, ignoring the searing pain in his back as he stood, struggling to put distance between them. “I don’t have a crystal!” He barely dodged a warp strike before switching out Ultima for Ever After. Healing was his problem during their first round. No way was he going to make that mistake again. 

“Liar!” Ardyn accused, unleashing a flurry of attacks and ending with a dark fire spell. “That power was not your own!”

Sora grimaced at the strength behind both his magic and physical attacks. There was no way he was going to beat this guy, injured and alone. Arydn flew at him again, this time successfully landing a barrage of warp strikes and a dark thunder spell. This was bad, Sora realized while healing, looking at Roxas and Vanitas still unconscious in the distance. What happened to Noctis and Leon? When were the others going to get here?

The air began to crackle again, and Sora desperately wished he’d had enough power to cast more than a measly cura. The panels of red energy surrounded Ardyn once more, and as if sensing Sora’s distress, he smiled ferociously. “Are you worried, little boy? No more friends to come to your aid? Aw, too bad.”

Friends, Sora thought, grasping his heart once more. He was so weak and had already accessed Riku’s link, but he needed him. Sora looked at Arydn helplessly and called to Riku, trying his best to communicate the situation without words. Nothing came back from the other side. 

Ardyn flew at him, dust whirling around his feet from where he’d taken off. Sora sharply inhaled and held it, expecting the worst of all pains to come over him again. But a spark from above caught his attention, and he had exactly two seconds to process that Riku had fallen out of the sky before his companion shoved him out of harm's way, blocking the strike in one fluid motion. 

Sora groaned, rolling over to keep his eyes on the battle. 

He’d seen the evolution of Riku’s fighting technique over the years, how it changed from all physical attacks to a healthy mixture of magic and martial, and now to special attacks that incorporated both. He sparred with Riku frequently and watched him go up against Aqua and Terra often, holding nothing back.

But Sora had never seen him fight like this before. 

Dark barrier was almost constantly in play, with thunderaga relentlessly emerging to blind and incapacitate Ardyn. Their foe was legitimately stumbling to keep up, growling with rage and warp striking messily. Sora wanted desperately to cheer Riku on, but feared that he’d only distract him. 

Arydn landed a few hits, drawing Riku into critical health, and Sora saw he was having the same problem he had - healing time. He grinned, grasping his keyblade and using the dregs of his magic to drench them both in a curaga. Sora breathed a sigh of relief as Riku gained the advantage once more, inclining his head to Sora in a spare moment as thanks for the backup. 

Then Arydn smirked and his body flickered, changing abruptly in height and shape until Sora was in front of Riku, eyes gleaming red and long sword poised to attack. Riku flinched in shock, eyes wide, and had no time to recover from the distraction before a powerful blizzard spell engulfed him. 

“Riku!” Sora called, panicked. “Riku, hang on!” He rose and stubbornly activated Mirage Staff, knowing he needed to keep off his feet. 

He and Riku had to fight versions of themselves far too often, he mused as he swung accurately and critically into his double’s back. Aryn stumbled, deactivating the blizzard spell and giving Riku a much-needed break. 

“I’m getting tired of you,” his evil twin said, shooting off multiple dark firagas in anger. Sora aerial dodged and shot locked, cheering in accomplishment when they all hit. But Arydn laughed, staring at him as a multitude of weapons appeared next to his body. “You have earned divine judgement,” his own voice said to him. “Let’s see you writhe.”

Sora frowned, wanting to finish with Mirage Tower but seeing tendrils of a magic barrier snake over Ardyn’s form. Magic wouldn’t do him any good now, and the collection of weaponry guarded any physical attacks. As he considered what to do, Ardyn performed the most disabling set of warp strikes yet. Sora gasped, slammed again and again by a trident, sliced by scythe and bruised by hammer. 

“Sora!“ he heard Riku call as he crashed into the ground once more. Oh, that definitely broke some bones. He looked up to see Arydn’s cruel smirk and crazed eyes as he descended from an aerial attack, sword pointed downward his way. As he looked at his imminent demise, Sora wanted to laugh at the notion of his own double killing him.

A second before their collision, a blur of white, black and yellow slammed into Ardyn, pushing him to the left and out of Sora’s view. He could hear grunts and metal clanging, saw the light of spells flash and fade. Time slowed and he struggled to stay present, twitching his fingers and digging them into his palm to force himself into action. 

It took a tiny thunder spell to his body to get him out of that self-made crater. He had to crawl painfully out of it, but there was no way he was going to leave Riku alone. A quick glance to the left confirmed that Riku was the one who’d slammed into Ardyn, but it wasn’t normal Riku. 

Sora’s jaw dropped as he realized the tendrils of darkness were not from Ardyn. His best friend was ferocious. Dark firagas honed in on their enemy and burst, doing critical damage, but Sora worried about keeping Riku in that state. He needed to get him out - 

Another form joined the fray, launching combos until Ardyn hesitated to get up off the ground. Vanitas hovered next to him, Void Gear pointed threateningly. “That face you wear,” Vanitas seethed. “You don’t deserve it.” 

Ardyn laughed. “How pompous. Does it bother you? To see your brother corrupted and mangled-” he taunted until Oathkeeper slammed into his back. 

“Hands off my friends,” he spat, mirroring Vanitas’s pose. 

Ardyn sneered, morphing back to his original form. "You have no idea who I am, do you children? I’m a king. A god.” He rose to his knees, paying no heed to the weapons in his face. The wind swirled around them and the sky became dark, clouds making way for a portal to emerge. “I can summon the beasts at the edges of life.” 

Sora’s breath caught, knowing he couldn’t fight another battle. But right as Roxas raised his keyblade in warning, Noctis appeared next to them and grabbed Ardyn by the collar, launching an attack and taking the battle to the air.

“Sora, are you okay?” a voice called from a distance. Sora turned his head, seeing Leon, Cloud, and Gladio. 

“Leon! I’m okay I think,” Sora answered. “But that guy-”

“Not your problem,” Cloud asserted, dragging him up and holding his weight. “We gotta get you out of here.” 

“Xion and Ven-” he began before Cloud cut him off.

“Are already on their way to Aerith. Let’s go,” he prompted, making Sora half-jog with him out of the battlefield. 

“I’ll get the others,” Leon told him as Sora saw Gladio leap into the fray. 

He hoped Riku had calmed down enough to return to himself, and he wished he’d been strong enough to keep him from having to do it in the first place. 


	2. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Love (and Christmas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora recovers from battle. Riku accidentally stumbles across Sora's true feelings for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's literally just them talking about their feelings for a very long time enjoy

Aerith was an amazing healer, he realized. This was the kind of sorcerer he wanted to be. 

She laughed at his sign of relief, curing the cuts, bruises, and broken bones from the day’s battle and the one before. “Sora, honesty, how are you still fighting so much? Isn’t the war over?” she asked him. 

He shrugged. “Danger follows me.” 

“Truer words have never been spoken,” Ven commented from beside him. “Then again, Roxas and I don’t have a good track record either.” 

“Must be a heart sibling thing,” Yuffie whisper-yelled to Xion, who was awake and perfectly healed. They laughed at his expense. 

“I hope everyone’s okay,” Sora frowned, thinking of how terrible the battle had been. “They still haven’t come back.” 

“I’m just glad they all came when they did," Xion sighed. “Especially Riku. He must care about you a lot to fall out of the sky for you," she teased him. Sora flushed but felt pleased about the observation. He’d once come to the Realm of Darkness for Riku the same way. 

“It’s hard not to care about Sora,” Aerith cooed, ruffling his spikes motherly. “He’s got a big heart that he wears on his sleeve.” She smiled at them and placed her healing supplies down. “Well I’d feel much better if you stayed here tonight. I want to check on Sora in the morning for any lingering side-effects,” Aerith said to them. “We've got spare rooms for you back here, so please use them. And Sora,” she turned to him. “Don’t worry. Noctis said a friend of his was on her way to the battlefield, someone was healing abilities that apparently rival mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if they all came back in good health.”

Sora thanked her and stood to his feet, feeling sore and rickety. “I’m going to get some fresh air, then. No, don’t worry Ven. I’m just gonna be right outside.” 

Right outside turned into on the rooftop, but they didn’t need to know that. Sora sighed, scrolling through Kingstagram and double tapping photos of the Twilight Town gang’s movie night, Kairi and Selphie’s spa day, and one of Riku posing with Alice. Biting his lip, Sora made a post with the picture Xion had taken of all of them at Christmastown. He looked up at the grey sky in thought, wondering what to type after all they’d been through.

**Merry Christmas, from my family to yours. #heartsibilings #santa #Christmas**

When he thought about it, it was a good thing he was arguing with Roxas and Ven, right? Brothers were expected to fight once in a while and put it aside when it mattered most. Like today. He jolted out of his thoughts as a hand came over the rooftop and braced. 

Noctis appeared gracefully on his feet, looking at Sora as if he hadn’t just climbed a roof.

“Hey,” he said with a side wave. 

“Hey,” Sora parroted back. “You okay?” 

Noctis came to sit down next to him, sitting with one knee propped up. “Yeah, kinda. Your friends are all good, by the way, they had to stay back to talk to this old magician. Sorry about, well, everything Ardyn got away at the last minute.” 

“I’m just sorry you couldn’t get him,” Sora responded, feeling a thousand times better now that he knew everyone was alive and well. “Does that mean you have to track him down all over again?” 

“Yeah,” Noctis said, pouting. “It sucks.” 

Sora nodded and let the silence fall, watching some children run past on the road below. “Soo,” he began a minute later. “What’s your story?”

“My story?” Noctis looked at him, taken aback. “Uh, I’m a prince. Wait, no, king.” 

“Whoa,” Sora sat up straighter. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Noctis affirmed, smiling at his reaction. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Trust me. My kingdom was taken by military coup. My father died. Now I’m supposed to be king, but if I don’t stop Ardyn, there won’t be anything left to return to.” 

“Oh,” Sora said lamely. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” Noctis protested. “Everything happens for a reason, right? I’ve always felt like I’d be a terrible leader, but here I am, fighting for my kingdom and ready to take the throne. You grow into the roles you're supposed to take, I guess.” 

Sora nodded, fingering his shoestrings. “I never thought I’d make a good keyblade wielder, but I’m pretty good at it now.” He thought about his heart station and his promise to Riku. “Hey, Noctis?”

The older boy made an affirmative sound. 

“Can I ask, should you do something because you’re expected to do it or because you want to?” 

Noctis blinked at him and smiled, as if he knew what Sora was really asking. “Well, I never wanted to be king, but I felt - feel - a sense of duty to my people. That’s expected of me. At the same time, I have lots of plans for the future that I’m sure my council won’t approve of. I’ll fight for it, anyway.” 

Sora grinned, thinking of how similar the response was to Cinderella’s. “Yeah, I guess that’s the way to go.” 

Noctis suddenly looked up and got to his feet. “Looks like you got another visitor,” he said. 

Sora followed his line of sight to a very awkward Vanitas waiting a few feet away. 

“Hey,” Noctis called to Vanitas. “You were really good out there. Are you for hire?”

Vanitas frowned and came close. “What do you mean?”

“As a mercenary?” Noctis specified. “We’ve had a few join our group before, and we always need more manpower. Would you be interested in coming with us to defeat that douchebag you met today?”

Vanitas looked between Noctis and Sora rapidly. “Why would I go?”

Noctis blinked. “I don’t know. There’s money in it, and you’d get to travel. The only drawback is we’ll be constantly fighting high-level-”

“Okay,” Vanitas blurted. 

“Alright,” Noctis laughed. “We’re leaving in a couple of hours. Meet us at the town square and we’ll get going. Bye, Sora. Thanks again for today.”

“Oh!” Sora muttered, getting to his feet. “Yeah! No problem. I hope you get your kingdom back.” 

Noctis gave a half-smile and vaulted off the roof, disappearing into headquarters below. Vanitas made his way over to Sora, collapsing into Noctis’s previous seat. “You’re not dead,” he said to Sora conversationally. 

“Not yet,” Sora chirped. “Thanks to you, and Roxas and Riku.”

Vanitas frowned, unimpressed with Sora’s wide smile. “That guy was crazy.” 

“He was,” Sora agreed. “Almost as crazy as you.”

Vanitas snorted, leaning back on his hands. They both let a gust of breeze pass in silence. “Is it okay if I go with them?” Vanitas asked. 

“Huh?” Sora responded eloquently, shifting his body to his look alike. “You’re asking me?”

“There’s no one else here,” Vanitas sassed. “Of course I’m asking you.” 

“Oh,” Sora chuckled, scratching his cheek with a finger. “I think you should do whatever makes you happy.” 

Vanitas grunted. “I’m going then.” 

Sora nodded. “But uh, maybe,” he trailed off, already regretting beginning the sentence. 

Vanitas glared at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Sora aborted, turning away. 

“No, you’ve already wasted my time beginning that sentence,” Vanitas asserted. “Finish it.” 

“Uh,” Sora laughed nervously. “Just, maybe if you could contact me once in a while. Not all the time! Just so I knew you were safe. Not that you won’t be-” 

“Shut up,” Vanitas groaned in irritation, though Sora could swear he saw the boy fighting a smile. “I don’t have a phone.” 

“Oh!” Sora exclaimed a bit too loudly, making Vanitas flinch. “I have an extra!” He dug through his subspace pocket with his tongue out in concentration. “Ah ha! Here! I broke mine recently, so Chip and Dale gave a replacement to use. Then they sent me the old one, so now there’s two. Take it!”

Vanitas looked at the gummiphone and back up at Sora. “It looks dumb.” 

Sora pouted. “Come on! It even has Kingstagram and everything set up on it. You could make fun of me online in front of all my friends.” 

Vanitas laughed (read: released air through his nose), looking at the phone suspiciously. “Fine, fine,” Vanitas said, grabbing the device. “You think those guys can teach me how to use it?” 

“Noctis?” Sora specified. “Maybe. Depends on how much technology their kingdom has. I can teach you now, if you want.” 

Vanitas looked at him suspiciously. “You don’t have time for that.” 

“Yeah, I do!” Sora laughed. “I’ll make the time.” 

He pushed up to his look-alike’s side and pushed the side button. “See this? It’s the on/off switch. But you gotta hold it down for awhile like this-”

Vantias raised an eyebrow as the phone loaded, comparing it to Sora’s. “Hey, why does yours look different?” he asked, referring to the lock screen image. 

“You can set it to any picture you want!" Sora chimed. “Mine is of an ornament I got from Elsa, a princess. I’ve been collecting them in every world I go to." 

“Why?” Vanitas asked. “What do they do?”

“They just look pretty," Sora shrugged. “Maybe one day I’ll have a place to put it.” He frowned, suddenly saddened by the thought.

“Hey, you upset?” Vanitas asked, nudging him with his arm. “Cause it looks like it but your keyblade isn’t doing that stupid shit anymore.”

Sora looked around them and sighed in relief. “Finally.” 

“But you are upset," Vanitas confirmed, scrolling through the apps on his new phone. “Right? Why?”

It was hard to explain, and he didn’t particularly want to, but Vanitas asking him to vent was a huge step in the right direction. He looked at his lock screen for a moment before explaining. “I’m like these ornaments, I guess. I’m meant for a tree, but I have no idea where that tree is.”

Vanitas furrowed his eyebrows, looking around them. “Ok, well. There’s like ten trees around us.”

“You’re ruining my metaphor,” Sora glared, knowing Vanitas understood what he was trying to say.

“No, I’m answering it. Choose a fucking tree, Sora.”

"…”

"…What’s Kingstagram?” Vanitas asked, apparently over their talk.

As Vanitas entered account details for his new Kingstagram account, Sora thought about Xion’s vision for next Christmas. Maybe, just maybe, he could convince all of them to go to Christmas town together. But if Vanitas got a glamor outfit in any other other than black, they would all get murdered. The universe would explode from his anger, probably. 

xXx

Falling asleep was easy. 

Even with Roxas’s obnoxious snoring, Sora felt his body melt and his mind relax on the edges of consciousness. It was a relief to know his insomnia was fading alongside his fractures, a side-effect he hadn’t anticipated. His meow wow jumped on him as soon as he appeared in the cotton candy pink clouds, and Sora hugged him like a lifeline. 

“Sorry, buddy. Things got out of control there for a while.” His meow wow trilled and hopped around him before pushing their faces together again. “Okay, okay!” he laughed, petting fur rapidly. “I can play for a little bit, but not too long! Riku’s gonna be waiting, and I need to make sure he’s okay.” 

After an adequate amount of ‘time’ had passed and he’d pat all the dream eaters’ heads, Sora honed in on his heart station. Just like that, he was falling through the clouds, waving goodbye to the heart-filled area around him. The sunset sky passed him as he dove headfirst into the ocean, swimming forward until his feet touched the seafloor. It gave way to his almost-whole stained glass image. Just one more confession, he mused. 

“Sora!” Riku called out. 

Sora turned eagerly to see Riku touch down, back glowing with the dream eater symbol. “Riku!” he yelled back. They met up in the middle of his station, both with wide, wild eyes. “Are you okay?!” Sora asked the same time Riku did. 

“I’m fine,” Riku assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But that battle was insane. You pushed way too hard-” 

“I did?” Sora questioned hysterically. “You went anti on him, Riku. I didn’t even know you could do that. Are you really, honestly okay?”

Riku opened and closed his mouth a few times, removing his hand from Sora to look at it in contemplation. “I think so. It was strange. It didn’t feel like I was surrendering to the darkness, at least not like it did with Ansem. I just knew what I had to do, and I did it.” He looked to Sora and hesitated before asking, “Did I scare you?”

“Riku, I was legitimately down for the count and Ardyn was coming for me. You didn’t scare me. You saved me,” Sora assured him, voice light and airy. “I feel lucky that I mean so much to you, that’d you transform that way.” Riku had been so fast and powerful and confident in his anti form. Even though he’d been half-dead watching the battle, Sora had seen Riku fight in his new form and thought some not so PG rated thoughts. “And you fell out of the sky for me,” Sora laughed. “How did you even get to Radiant Garden so fast?”

Riku smirked. “I felt you calling to me, the same way you probably felt me calling you back in the Realm of Darkness. I told you, I’ll always come for you.” 

He did his best not to swoon, clearing his throat and rubbing his arm. “You were just so, so powerful and…” Sora trailed off, thinking of the more difficult combos his best friend had cleared with grace and ease. “And no one would doubt the fact that you’re a Master.” 

Riku coughed awkwardly, an unfamiliar pink flush across his cheeks. “Oh, uh. Yeah, it was nothing. Uh…”

Sora bit his lip in restraint, wanting nothing more than to pull him down and kiss the tip of his nose. Riku had never been good at receiving compliments. “It was amazing,” Sora emphasized, playing it up. “You’re so heroic, Riku. And brave and charming and handsome-”

“Ugh! Sora stop!” Riku complained, face as red as Santa’s coat. “This is not the time!” 

Sora complied, smile sliding off with the gravity of their last battle. “I just hope there’s no lasting damage,” Sora whispered, remembering the look on Riku’s face when Ardyn had transformed into him. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“Yeah,” Riku breathed, face cooling. “I thought I was going to lose you too. He just kept going for you -”

“He was obsessed with me!” Sora complained, throwing his hands up. “Here I thought all the tough battles had ended.” They both stood silently, looking down at the fracture in his station. 

“Do you know how hard it was to go directly to Wonderland and stay there after that battle, knowing you were injured?” Riku asked him. “I wanted to go to you after they healed me, but Master Yen Sid showed up. He felt the energy currents that Ardyn made and traced them to Radiant Garden.” Riku crossed his arms and locked his jaw, still looking down. “He didn’t even give me a choice. Just snapped his fingers and there I was, in a world far away from you. Again.” 

Sora’s heart thudded at the confession, part of him preening over Riku’s separation complaint. “I thought maybe you were busy, and that’s why you never came back with the others. Why didn’t you call?”

Riku looked up, surprised. “I tried. It kept going to voicemail, so I assumed you already went to sleep. I’m not sure what the time difference is or how much I lost to the teleport, either.”

“Oh,” Sora replied, looking up at him through his eyelashes. “You sure you’re okay?”

Riku paused for a moment before running a hand through Sora’s hair soothingly. “Yeah. Now let’s make you okay.” 

Sora took a deep breath as his best friend pressed his fingertips to the last fracture, causing a flash of light to overtake the area. The station fluttered to life, memory frames reemerging and shuffling until a few appeared in front of them. 

The first frame was the moment Sora sacrificed himself with the keyblade for Kairi, grin wide and unassuming. He saw Riku flinch when the dark keyblade penetrated his past self’s chest and absentmindedly rubbed the scar that was still present on his skin. When the frame ended, Riku unlocked the next. It played the moment he’d almost succumbed to darkness during his mark of mastery.

Sora huffed, wondering why some fractures repeated the same moments. 

Riku turned to him. “I think it’s because these moments were traumatic for you. They caused you to change in different ways.” 

Sora frowned. “I didn’t ask you anything.” And then he remembered what Riku had said last night, about being able to hear his thoughts in this place. Sora flushed, feeling vulnerable and weird. 

Riku smiled gently at him. “It’s okay, Sora. You’re safe with me.” He turned to unlock another memory, this time the moment when their friends got swept away by heartless in the Keyblade Graveyard. 

They both watched as Past Sora gave up, gave in, and Past Riku came to his side. Sora winced as he declared himself virtually powerless and altogether turned away from the frame as Past Riku attempted to protect him. 

There was a telling silence after that. He didn’t know what to do, apologize? What would RIku think of him now? They existed in a world where Riku hadn’t seen him give up -

“Stop it,” Riku said, footsteps rapid and loud as they came toward them. “Sora, stop. I’d never judge you for something like that and you know it.” Riku’s hand tentatively grasped his in a gesture of comfort. “I’m sorry you had to live through that. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Sora huffed as if it didn’t matter. “Riku, I’m sorry I couldn’t get it right the first time. If I’d found the strength, none of this ever would have-”

“But it happened,” Riku argued. “The fact that it did and I don’t remember bothers me.” Riku turned him around and stared into his eyes. “I’m grateful, Sora. I’m so grateful that you let me see this. Now we can share the burden together.” 

Sora balked at his words. “Riku, you can’t just…”

“Oh yes I can,” Riku replied stubbornly. “And I will. Now, let’s do the last ones. I’m assuming this has something to do with the darkness inside of you, which I understand more than anymore.” He rubbed Sora’s arm reassuringly before walking back to the line of frames, summoning Braveheart again with a flash. 

Sora’s breath caught when the memory began. It was Shibuya, which meant -

  
  


“What are you willing to do to win the game?” a man with silver hair asked Past Sora, eyes eerily two different colors. They were atop a skyscraper, wind howling around them.

“Whatever it takes,” Sora responded. “I have people waiting for me back home.” 

The boy’s red eye glinted. “Oh? So no price is too high?”

Sora seemed to hesitate at that statement. “What do you have in mind?” 

“Simple,” the man said, shrugging. “Whatever matters most to you. It’s your entry fee.” 

“What matters most to me is my friends,” Sora spat. “And I’ve already lost them.” 

“No,” the man drawled, walking closer to Sora. “They aren’t it. It’s your heart, isn’t it? That light that never goes out, stoked by the memory of the ones you love. I’d take your memory but, well, it looks like it’s been tampered with already. Can’t risk counterfeit currency.” 

Sora flinched as if struck. “What? I don’t understand what you want from me.”

He smirked, waving a hand to draw up an image of Riku walking. “I think you know. It is the most powerful magic of all. Isn’t that what they say?”

Present Sora heard Riku gasp at the image of himself and hoped he didn’t understand what was being implied.

“If you win," the man negotiated. “You get it all back. Your life, your friends, your feelings. It’s a good deal. Why should you care about the other players?”

Sora gritted his teeth. “Not this way, Yozora. I’d rather stay dead and keep what’s important to me. I’ll find my own way and free the others too.”

“This is the only way. Or do you want something to happen to him?” Yozora asked mockingly. “Look again. Does that seem like your home to you?” 

Past Sora peered at the screen hesitantly, eyes widening as cars passed on rainy, dark roads behind Riku. “He can’t be here. No way.”

“Times up Sora, shake my hand,” Yozora pushed. “Listen to me and take my deal, or else you’ll lose your life and his.”

Present Sora grimaced as his younger self did so, ending the memory. 

  
  


Riku turned to him as the frame flew off into the multitude, expression unreadable. “But, I thought you said you saved them in the end.” 

“I did,” Sora looked down at his feet. “Neku and I had a plan from the beginning, when I woke up. He told me not to join the game just yet, that there was a different way to end everything and set us all free." Sora met his best friend’s eyes with a wry smile. “But we didn’t know about Yozora. Or the things he was planning. He made me form a pact with him, and I didn’t find out he was the Game Master until too late.” 

Riku pursed his lips. “I’m sorry. I messed it all up for you. I was just worried-”

Apparently it was his turn to reassure. “No, I’m glad you came for me. Even though I wanted to keep you away from danger, knowing you were there made me try twice as hard to fix it all. The original plan wouldn’t have worked, anyway. There was only one method to set everyone free.” 

Riku shifted his gaze to the side in contemplation. “So, what was the price you paid? To join the game?” 

Sora clutched his heart and closed his eyes, exhaling shakily. “All I can say is I’m not me without it. I didn’t realize how much of who I am resided in it.” Sora cocked his head at Riku. “I’m grateful it came back to me.” 

His best friend didn’t like the answer, clenching and unclenching his fist before moving on. “If he was the Game Master and in a pact with you, how did you set everyone free?” 

This was the part he nervous about Riku seeing. Sora swallowed air and pointed to the next memory frame, knowing the contents from the location image. Riku hesitantly unlocked it.

  
  
  


Neku ushered him closer to peer off the edge of the tall building. Noise fluttered around below, surrounding their friends and following Yozora’s commands.

“Okay,” he said to Past Sora. “Hit his heart directly. I’ll get Riku and the others out of here safely. I promise.” 

“Okay,” Sora said. “And Neku, thanks. For trying.” 

Neku’s eyes blinked rapidly, more emotion in them than Sora usually saw. “No. Thank you. Giving up your rebirth so we could all make it… It means everything.” Neku rested his hand on Sora’s shoulder. “See you, Sora.” 

Past Sora watched Neku disappear into the night, leaving him and the X-blade above the cityline. Sora breathed in, clutching his crown necklace one last time. And then he dove, blade positioned to kill the Game Master as their friends landed one last, knee-bending attack.

The collision was extraordinary and painful; he remembered. Neku had managed to evacuate their friends in time, leaving him and his not-quite partner alone. Yozora had stared at him face down on the ground until he’d disintegrated into light, leaving Sora to do the same.

And then, just like he remembered, Vanitas was there. He dragged Sora’s fading body up in a panicked flurry of movement. “Sora!” he called. “You’ve got to be fucking with me. C’mon you self-sacrificial moron,” Vanitas pleaded. His look-alike paused, thinking, before placing his hands on Sora’s chest and bowing his head. Vanitas breathed in relief as Sora’s heart rose into his own chest, taking up temporary residence. 

The memory faded and flew to join its brothers and sisters, leaving the platform with the memory from that day. Sora didn’t know what to say, what to do, as usual on his station. 

“You were sacrificing yourself? Again?” Riku ground out. “Sora, what’s with you? Do you _want_ to die or something?” 

Sora leaned in slightly to make eye contact with his best friend, who looked like he was having a meltdown. “But I came back! And that’s why I’ve been defending Vanitas. I, yeah, he’s back. He came back with me and I’m sorry I kept that from you. But he did a selfless deed, Riku! He’s done it more than once!”

“I talked to Vanitas after the battle with Ardyn,” Riku admitted, voice gruff with frustration. “He told me you two had been together in that realm, and that you’d pulled some stupid, brave stunt to save everyone again. So, I guess it prepared me for this bombshell,” Riku rationalized. 

Focused eyes moved from left to right as if he were reading. “Why didn’t you tell me Vanitas was back? When did you first see him here? How did you leave his heart?” 

“I don’t know how either. I woke up in Destiny Islands, remember? I first saw him again back in Arendelle,” Sora defended, feeling like he was on trial. 

“What?” Riku spat. “I was there with you, Sora. How did you not tell me?”

“Because I didn’t know how to explain everything. I didn’t want to! So much is happening at the same time and I just wanted to enjoy what precious moments I had left before you went back to the Islands!” Sora explained desperately.

Riku softened ever so slightly at the confession. Sora bit his lip as he watched his best friend wrestle with his emotions.“I guess,” Riku began, closing his eyes. “Maybe, I might’ve done something similar if I were you. Doesn't mean I don’t like it though. All of those memories were about your fears and the darkness inside you, weren’t they? You’ve never talked to me about any of them.” 

Sora shrugged helplessly. “Well, I try to not let it affect how I interact with you guys.” 

“We had no idea,” Riku replied, looking up at the floating memories. “Which isn’t always a good thing, you know. How can we take care of you if you keep pushing this stuff down?”

“I can take care of myself,” Sora retorted, crossing his arms. “These cracks are mostly from everyone leaving, but the reason it’s taking so long to heal is because of my sacrifice with the X-blade, I think. I’m lucky Vanitas let me hang out with him for a while. Wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

Riku’s torso flinched at his last statement, looking as if he were holding something back. Instead he turned to Sora resolutely. “From here on out, no secrets between us,” Riku proposed, pinky raised. “Swear on it.”

Sora smiled at the gesture. “Yeah. No secrets.”

The station rumbled and Sora watched in satisfaction as the fractured gap on his platform got smaller and smaller, stained glass climbing to his chest and stopping where his heart was. 

“Huh?” he asked the open air. “Why didn’t it get filled all the way?”

Riku frowned, coming closer. “Maybe there’s one more fracture you don’t know about. Got any other people in there with you?”

“Har har,” Sora jibed, hands on his hips. “No, I don’t. Maybe this one is my own?” 

Riku glanced up and shrugged, silver strands of hair falling in his eyes. “Let’s find out.” 

As soon as the last set of memories came down, Sora knew what it was. He panicked, tugging his best friend’s sleeve. “Riku, actually, I think we need to leave this one where it is, please.” 

“Why?” Riku scoffed, raising his keyblade to the first frame. “We’ve come this far.”

Sora held his breath as Riku ran through the line, showing them together as children watching the meteor shower and them as teenagers building the raft. The moment Riku had tossed him the paopu fruit as a joke, breaking his stupid heart for the first time. He watched as he traversed the worlds to find his best friend, more than a little obsessed with talking about him to Donald and Goofy. He winced when Donald told him to stop looking at the situation with heart eyes and find the king instead.He wanted to die on the spot when he fell to his knees after finding Riku in The World that Never Was, and even more so when their combined song in the Realm of Sleep began to play. But none of it was explicit, could still pass for strong friendship. And then Riku unlocked the last memory. 

  
  


“I have to pay my fee to become Yozora’s partner,” Sora said to Neku in front of Shibuya Crossing. “Could you give Riku a message for me after I’m gone? I have to say this now, before I give up the feelings behind it.” 

Present Sora gasped, tugging on Riku’s arm with most of his body weight. “Riku, stop. We have to stop, please.” 

“Why?” Riku asked him, eyes darting from the memory to Sora.

“Just- please Riku! It’s gonna ruin everything. Make it stop!” Sora pleaded. 

Riku stared at him, gently removing his shaking hands from his shirt. “No secrets Sora.” 

A moment after that statement, Sora heard his past self say the words he was dreading most. 

“Tell Riku I love him?” Sora chuckled wetly. “I’ve been in love with him for so long and never got the chance, never worked up the courage to tell him.” 

Present Sora tensed, closing his eyes. That was it, wasn’t it? Couldn’t friendship his way out of this one.

“When I’m with him, everything’s okay. It’s like the world suddenly makes sense and it’s easier to be happy, to get through it all. I think the only reason I could be a hero was because I was chasing after Riku half the time. He’s worth chasing after, no matter how frowny and stubborn and stupid he is sometimes. He’s getting better, though. He smiles more, and every time he does I feel these weird - these things flying inside my chest, you know?” Sora ranted to Neku, lips curling up fondly. “I can’t imagine a life without him in it, Neku. He’s everything.”

Neku sighed. “Sora, this is too important to pass on as a message. You need to tell Riku face to face. We have time before you have to-”

“No,” Sora denied. “He’d never return those feelings. I’m a great friend, sure. But why would he look at me the way Beast looks at Belle or Rapunzel looks at Eugene? What could I offer besides my life?” Sora chuckled bitterly. “If he didn’t feel the same way, he’d spent the rest of his life thinking of me differently. And in the off chance that he felt the same way, I’d have to sacrifice myself moments later.”

Neku frowned, eyes simultaneously sympathetic and hard. “You’re doing this to make sure he gets out of here, aren’t you?”

“He did the same thing for me in the Realm of Darkness, once upon a time.” 

  
  
  


Sora heard the telltale swish of air indicating the memory ended. Riku said nothing, and he said nothing, and they did nothing until Sora felt like he was going crazy. 

“Sora,” Riku breathed, voice shaky and raw. “Sora how do you not know by now- Sora you’re disappearing on me.” 

He jolted and looked down at his see-through hands. He was waking up. Riku seemed to panic and gripped his shoulders. Sora could see Riku had been crying too, still was. There was desperation in those eyes that Sora didn’t understand. 

“Sora, please don’t wake up I have to tell you-”

  
  


“Ra! It’s time to get up sleepyhead!” Xion screamed into his ear. 

“Don’t bother,” Roxas drawled. “He’s out cold.” 

Sora pried his eyelids open and stayed frozen on the bed, immobilized by the events he was just forced out of. 

“Sora?” Xion asked, tilting her head. “Are you okay?” 

He heard her but he couldn’t make his lips move to answer; they were busy trembling, and his lungs were busy trying to find air but let it all escape instead. He vaguely saw Roxas drop something and come to his side. 

“Sora, hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, both abrasive and concerned.

Sora inhaled, jolting at the double wave it created in his body. “Roxas,” he sobbed, feeling overwhelmed and confused. Roxas pulled him into a too-tight hug, which Sora gratefully hid in. He registered his two friends talking, maybe even arguing, over him before the door to the room opened and closed again. 

“Sora,” Roxas said. “You gotta tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix it. Was it a nightmare? Are you still hurt?” 

Sora sniffed, envisioning Ryder’s breathing technique and following it. After a couple of minutes, Sora felt calm enough to form words. “I-I fixed my heart station. Last night.” Roxas waited for him to continue, and Sora could tell it took all of him not to more demand answers. “Riku saw a lot that I didn’t really want him to see. The bad parts,” he explained, clutching Roxas’s navy blue shirt closer. “But he said it was okay, and we were okay. Except the last fracture was about, about him?”

Roxas made an affirmative noise as Sora took a moment to breathe again. 

“It showed him that I was in love with him,” Sora lamented, hiccuping. “I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t listen. And before he could say anything about it, I woke up.” Sora pulled back to look at his empty hands. “I ruined everything, Roxas.” 

Roxas said nothing for a good long minute. Sora waited, hoping for some sage advice from his other half. “Fuck him then,” Roxas asserted, eyes blazing. 

“Roxas!” Sora looked up at him, scandalized. 

“What?” Roxas defended. “It’s his fault for not telling you he’s in love with you first. Making you do this way? Shitty as hell.” 

“Riku. Riku- in love with me?” Sora surmised, confused and dazed at the concept. 

“Do you really think best friends treat each other the way you two do?” Roxas reasoned, knocking Sora’s head gently. “Riku never told me explicitly, but it’s easy to tell if you have eyes.” 

Sora felt the rain clouds scattering into hopeful blue skies. Was it possible? “Do you think he was going to tell me that before I woke up?” Sora asked with wide eyes. “Do you think he wants to be with me? Even after everything?”

Roxas rolled his eyes to the ceiling in mock irritation. “Yes, Sora. I really, really do. And if he knew he’d made you cry, he’d probably throw himself off of a cliff or something. Stop with the waterworks!” 

Sora sniffled, drying his eyes stubbornly. “I wasn’t crying that much.” 

It was a relief to have Roxas talking to him again. Sora had been afraid that their last fight over Vanitas had sundered things between them. 

“Sora,” Roxas bit his lip, looking uncharacteristically apologetic. “I’m really sorry about what happened. No matter what, there was no reason to attack you. I hurt you in every way, and I’m sorry.” 

Sora smiled and patted his Other’s leg. “It’s okay, Rox. Happens to the best of us. I’m just glad you came around to Vanitas.”

“Begrudgingly,” Roxas qualified. “And only because we were making sure you were okay.”

“Right,” Sora affirmed. “Still means a lot to me.” 

They shared a look before Roxas sighed and stood, stretching his arms up and then to the sides the same way Sora did when waking up. “Alright,” he said. “Xion and Ventus cleared the rest of Radiant Garden while you were sleeping and now they’re checking in with Master Yen Sid. Here’s here talking to Leon and Cloud, apparently. Don’t worry, they didn’t tell him anything about Vanitas.” 

“Great, thanks,” Sora said, rising out of bed and moving to get his clothes. “So what now?”

“Well,” Roxas considered while Sora got dressed. “We have to be at Disney Castle for the Christmas ball in four hours. The three good fairies said they’d be there to help us get ready. I guess we can just hang out until then?”

“Okay,” Sora agreed while slipping on his shoes. “What’s Ven doing?”

“Last minute Christmas present shopping,” Roxas answered, crossing his arms in exasperation. “Xi and I told him to do it earlier.”

Sora perked up. That might be a good way to distract himself from what’d happened. “Christmas shopping?! I still need to get an ornament from here, remember? And...one more thing.” 

“Alright,” Roxas smiled, hands behind his head. “Lead the way.”

“Did you know they sell sea salt ice cream here?” Sora asked, skipping out the door. 

“Sora,” Roxas deadpanned, following him at a slower pace. “Do you even know who I am?”


	3. All I Want for Christmas is Reciprocated Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora goes to the Christmas ball expecting to have fun with friends and talk to Riku about his feelings. Instead, he gets a career and dives into Riku's heart.

Disney Castle was almost unrecognizable. 

As much as Arendelle, Castle of Dreams, and Christmas Town had stunned him, King Mickey’s place of residence took his breath away. It was nearing sunset and the outside decor had just switched on, making Sora feel like he was on some magical, dreamy ride instead of a formal gathering. After he, Xion, Ventus and Roxas fawned over the intricate animals made of lights, the glowing colors underneath the fresh snow, and the trees decorated with plush red ribbons, they entered the warm castle. 

“Sora! Hello!” Minnie greeted them, elegantly speeding over to take his hands in her small ones. “It’s been too long.” 

“I agree, your highness,” Sora giggled, bowing his head politely. “May I present my twin brothers, Ven and Roxas, and my younger sister, Xion.” He saw all three of his companions' heads turn to him in his periphery. After everything they’d done for him, Sora couldn’t help but see them that way. It was sorta true, wasn’t it?

Minnie blinked in surprise before taking each of their hands and re-introducing herself. “Well, all, we’re still getting ready downstairs, but the good fairies are on the third floor, the last door on your right. Feel free to relax before the ball starts!” 

They thanked her and started up the stairs, suspiciously silent. Sora looked back at them and licked his lips nervously. “Uh,” he stuttered, rounding the landing to the next flight of stairs. “Sorry if that made you uncomfortable. It just felt right to introduce you guys that way. I won’t do it again, if you want?”

“Do you really consider me a brother?” Ventus asked suddenly, eyes bright and curious. “I just thought, maybe, you wanted some space after me being with you most of your life.” 

Sora gave him a weird look. “What? No! You’ve known me since I was a kid. Of course I see you as a brother. Unless you don’t wanna be-”

“I wanna be!” Ventus said, throwing his arm over Sora’s shoulders. “We’re brothers now. No one can change that.” 

Sora laughed, looking back at Xion and Roxas. “Same goes for you two. You may not have existed for as long as Ven, but that doesn’t matter. If you want-”

“Yes!” Xion said, slamming into him so hard that he made a sound on impact. 

“Easy Xi,” Roxas laughed, coming over and regarding Sora happily. “Don’t wanna injure your own flesh and blood, do you?” 

Sora liked that look on his Other, open, happy, relaxed and calm. It was hard to get Roxas to look that way, but Sora swore he’d make it easier as time went by. “How about you? Any objections?” he asked Roxas. 

“No, you dork,” Roxas laughed, clocking his head lightly. “Let’s go get dressed.” 

Suffice to say, they arrived at the ball fashionably late, relaxed, and dressed to the nines. Sora’s familial introduction had opened the floodgates between them, and after they’d gotten a magical makeover Xion had insisted on sitting down and drinking the cider that the room had left on ice. They partook, making jokes and telling stories. Sora didn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much or so hard. It made him wonder why he waited so long to open up, be brave about telling these people how much he cared about them. It was only when Roxas took out his gummiphone to show them a picture when they realized the ball had been going for a full hour. Xion hastily took a selfie of the four of them, sent it off to Kingstagram land, and ushered them downstairs for the event they’d waited for the entire month. 

“Whoa,” they breathed in unison. The wreaths and flower arrangements in their waiting room had done nothing to prepare them for the majesty of the grand ballroom. Sora had been in it several times before, but never during an event. Now the room centered on a gigantic Christmas tree filled with different lights and bows and glass ornaments here and there. 

“Well, it’s about time you guys got here,” Aqua said, appearing before them with her hands on her hips. “What have you been doing?”

“Aqua!” Ven greeted, tackling her in a hug. “You look beautiful!” 

She did, Sora mused. Her satin blue dress cascaded down like a waterfall to her feet, hem brushing the floor gracefully. A sparkling, silver hairpiece branched off in curving metal lines, creating intricate patterns across her head. He rarely got to see any of his friends outside their casual clothes and battle armor. 

“Thanks,” Aqua said shyly. “You guys all look good too! Green has always been your color, Ven,” she complimented, straightening the emerald, diamond patterned bowtie on Ven’s neck. He smiled proudly, puffing up his chest so that the cream vest and white shirt underneath peeked out of his matching blazer. 

“Thanks!” he chirped, fingering the pocket watch that draped across his lower stomach. “I hate these shoes though,” he added, making everyone laugh. “Where’s Terra?” 

“He’s talking to some people by the buffet line. Here, I’ll take you to him!” Aqua offered, holding out her hand. Ven took it, waving goodbye to them with a cheeky grin. 

“And then there were three,” Roxas narrated, crossing his arms. “Well, what do we-” 

“Xi!” Axel’s voice called out. He appeared from behind Xion, putting his hands on her shoulders. “What’s up guys? Well, well, doesn’t everyone look nice.” Axel was breaking the dress code, which they’d expected, really. It looked like the fairies had given him a good outfit: dark red button down with a matte black tie, a black blazer and dress pants, and even a nice-looking watch on his wrist. The tie had been loosened into a glorified necklace and the sleeves of his blazer pushed to the elbow haphazardly. The first two buttons of his shirt was also undone. 

“You slob,” Roxas chided. “Button up your stupid shirt.” 

“No,” Axel pouted. “I tied up my hair. That’s peak fanciness for me.” 

Sora laughed at that, seeing the porcupine spikes sticking out even more crazily in the constrained environment. “Yeah, I guess you don’t look half bad,” he commented.

Axel struck a pose, framing his face with his thumb and index finger. “Don’t I know it.” 

Roxas smoothed down his speckled grey blazer, making sure the burgundy tie beneath wasn’t bunching up underneath his gold-buttoned vest. Similar to Ven, his pants matched his blazer and ended with shiny black shoes. “Yeah, yeah,” he waved. “You’re hot, blah, blah, blah.” 

Xion giggled. “At least Roxas finally admitted it to you.” 

Roxas glared at her as Axel guffawed, surprised. “You wanna keep that shiny barrette? Keep talking,” he threatened. 

Xion pouted, brining her hand up to the accessory in hair defensively. “You wouldn’t. It goes too perfectly with my outfit,” she argued, sweeping a hand over her purple strapless dress. “It matches the silver chain,” she continued, motioning to the multi-tiered jewelry piece wrapped on the side of her hip. 

“Not like she can run in those heels anyway,” Axel commented, hitting Roxas’s arm conversationally. 

“Yeah, I can!” Xion retorted. “They aren’t even that tall.” 

“Wanna bet?” Roxas drawled, hands in his pockets. 

“...yes,” Xion accepted, eyes blazing. 

Sora scratched the back of his head, feeling a little too much like a spectator for his own comfort, and gave an awkward wave that only Axel saw before lazily walking away. He recognized quite a few people around him, most of them royalty from around the worlds. A few people he’d fought alongside too, like Mulan and Hercules, milled around the room. He sighed and checked his gummiphone, seeing no new texts or calls. If Riku had something important to say, wouldn’t he have texted or called by now? 

“Hey, lazy bum. What are you doing on your phone?” Kairi reprimanded him, suddenly appearing at his right side.

He looked up and laughed in surprise, embracing her and doing a once over. “Wow, Kai, you look great!” 

“So you noticed!” She preened, spinning in a circle to showcase her white and gold off-shoulder dress. “I thought it looked Christmassy! You don’t look bad either!” 

Sora scoffed and looked down at himself. He, Roxas, and Ven had gotten similar outfits. His blazer and pants were a navy blue, accented by a gold tie around his neck that tucked into his vest. Instead of a pocket watch, he’d requested that the three fairies incorporate his crown necklace. It swung proudly from his vest, reminding him of how far he’d come in just a couple of short days. 

“Has Riku seen you yet?” Kairi asked mischievously, sipping at a pink drink. 

Sora narrowed his eyes at her expression and the way the question was phrased. “No?”

She grinned widely. “Great! Let me know when you go to see him.” 

“Why can’t I go see him now?” Sora asked, hands on his hips. 

“Cause you’ve got incoming,” Kairi answered, cocking her head to the side in warning. 

“Sora!”’ Snow White exclaimed, embracing him gingerly. “It’s been so long. How are you?” 

“Oh,” Sora blinked, watching Kairi scurry away. “I’m good, how are you and Prince Charming?” 

He must’ve talked to everyone in the room without meaning to. Every time he stepped on his tippy-toes to find his best friend’s silver hair, someone else intercepted him to talk about his future, what happened in the keyblade war, to commend him for his efforts or to invite him to this or that event. When he’d finally gotten some breathing room and chugged down a whole glass of sparkling cider, King Mickey himself had tracked him down. 

“Your Majesty!” Sora greeted, bending down. “This place is amazing! Thanks so much for inviting me.” 

“Aw, thanks Sora,” Mickey giggled. “It was the least I could do after everything that’s happened. I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment?” 

Sora nodded, placing his glass down, following the King outside the ballroom and into a study across the way. Part of Sora wanted to flee when he saw Master Yen Sid and Leon in the room. Why would they all be together? Had Leon told them about Vanitas?

“Sora,” Yen Sid greeted, clad in his normal blue cloak. 

Sora stood to attention in response. 

“Calm down my boy,” he chortled, stroking his beard. “There’s no trouble here.” 

“Yeah,” Mickey assured. “I promise, it’s something very good, actually.” 

Sora blinked at all of them and dropped his shoulders. 

“I wanted to know what you intended to do in the near future,” Yen Sid explained. “Do you still plan to take the mark of mastery?”

Sora averted his gaze before bracing himself and making eye contact again. “I don’t.” 

“Why not?” the sorcerer asked, face tilting upward. 

“I don’t think it’s for me. I’m meant to do something else, be someone else,” Sora explained. “I’m sorry.” 

Mickey giggled and whisper-yelled to Yen Sid. “See? I told you he was ready.” 

Yen Sid smiled then. “Good. I agree,“ he responded in the same volume before turning attention back to Sora. “King Mickey and I have an offer for you. Should you choose to take it, it’ll make the most of your talents and assist the universe at large.” 

Sora laughed in anticipation and curiosity. “Okay, what is it?”

“The worlds will stay connected,” Yen Sid stated. “And with that connection comes confusion. They’ll need someone they recognize and trust to tie them all together.”

“And to communicate with all of them regularly,” King Mickey added. “The way we’ve been doing things can’t keep on forever.” 

“Sora, what say you to being the overseer of affairs interplanetary?” Yen Sid asked, a slight smile on his face. 

“Uh,” Sora muttered, processing to compute. “I’m sorry, but what exactly does that mean?” 

“Some of the princesses came forward today to ask about having a leader, someone to keep the peace between all worlds and create working relationships,” Leon said. “They want you to be that person. You’d have to figure out what that means on your own. The position doesn’t exist yet.” 

Sora furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah. I’ve talked to Elsa and Cinderella about that recently, actually. The universe does need someone, something, like that. I’m just not sure if I’m the best fit.“ And then he thought about Riku on his heart station, telling him he was capable and heroic and amazing. “Wait, yes,” Sora corrected. “Yes, I am the best fit. Okay, I’ll do it.” 

Leon stared at him as if he’d just grown an extra head. “You don’t have to decide now.” 

“But my mind’s made up,” Sora asserted. “I need to be more brave, and I know in my heart I’m meant to do this.” 

Yen Sid nodded, clapping his hands together in front of him. “It is decided. You, King Mickey, Leon and I will work together to make this vision a reality. Radiant Garden has already offered to serve as your home base.” 

“Home base?” Sora asked, looking at Leon. “What do you mean?”

“An operation like this will need a central focus,” Leon explained, uncrossing his arms and walking closer to them. “And you’ll need a handful of people under you just to keep all your chocobos in a row. If you haven’t noticed, the restoration committee doesn’t have much to restore anymore…” 

Sora perked up. “Oh! You want the restoration committee to become this new one?”

“Not exactly,” Leon said, picking at his simple black blazer and tie. “But for now, it’ll do.” 

“Sora,” King Mickey cut in. “Leon and Radiant Garden are offering their castle as a potential headquarters. I think it’d make your job a whole lot easier if you accepted it.” 

“The castle?!” Sora balked. “Why would I need the whole castle?”

“Visiting dignitaries, social events, and to serve as a symbol of united spirit,” Master Yen Sid listed off. 

“We don’t have a use for it in Radiant Garden,” Leon explained. “If we tore it down, we’d lose a piece of our history. But if we kept it up, empty and barren, it’d only remind everyone of the darkness they suffered through. It’s beneficial to both parties.” 

Sora scratched the back of his head in disbelief. “I must be dreaming.” 

“You aren’t,” King Mickey soothed. “We need you, Sora. Only you can do this, but we don’t want to rush anything.” 

Sora remembered Noctis’s advice, how the expectation of what you do should fit alongside your own desire. He had a desire for this - to be this. His heart rate increased with the realization that he had a purpose and the means to fulfill it. He had a new home, one that he could open to those who needed it most. But most importantly, he had confirmation that he was valued and seen by these three authority figures in his life. They would never offer him this if they thought he was stupid, or slow, or undeserving. Here was validation that Riku was right. It’d been his own fears, and he’d faced.

“Yes,” Sora said brightly. “I accept. When do I start?” 

“Now,” Yen Sid said proudly. “If you’d permit us making the announcement today.” 

“Announcement?” Sora asked, wide-eyed.

“It’s an opportune time,” Mickey said. “Everyone who’s anyone is at this party. We’ll worry about all the other details after the new year. How does that sound?” 

Sora pumped up his fist. “Yeah! It sounds awesome. Let’s do it.” 

The four of them walked back into the ballroom and to the elevated platform in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. King Mickey whispered something into a servant’s ear, prompting him to walk up to the stage and take up a trumpet. Fanfare sounded three distinct times, quieting the room. 

“Please gather for an important announcement from the King!” the servant yelled, bowing stiffly at the waist and walking off stage again. 

“Let’s go, Sora,” Mickey said, walking up the stairs after Master Yen Sid. 

Sora gulped at the size of the audience before following. Leon completed the line next to him and whispered, “Your first PR moment. You got this, kid.” The unexpected support made Sora smile and look out into the crowd more confidently, meeting eyes with his confused close friends. 

“Gosh,” Mickey giggled. “Thank you all so much for coming to spend Christmas with us here at Disney Castle. We’re grateful to have so many close friends.” He paused as the audience clapped, rubbing the back of his head. “Christmas is a holiday we spend reflecting on the closing year. How we grew, who we met, and who we lost. But this year it’s particularly special. This year, we all defeated a terrible evil together.” He giggled at the cacophonous roar of clapping and whistling, holding up a hand to call for silence.

“And this year, we finally got time to relax and breathe. If you look around you today, you’ll see many faces that have never been to our annual celebration. That’s because all the worlds are reconnected. Now more than ever, we need someone who will lead the effort to keep us all together, keep us safe, and keep us connected. Many of you have come to me and requested that such a person and office be established as soon as possible.” 

Mickey glanced at him and smiled. “I’m honored to announce that we’ve chosen someone who fits our criteria as a leader, hero, and friend. Sora, would you join me, please?” 

A very distinctive, incredulous “What?!” echoed the ballroom before the clapping and whistling began. Sora flushed, recognizing the culprit to be Axel and the louder hoots to be his friends. He nervously sighed and stood next to Mickey, looking out into the crowd again complacently. 

“I’m sure most of you already know Sora, so I don’t need to tell you why we’ve selected him. Sora, do you have a few words to say?” Mickey asked kindly. 

Sora blue screened and scratched the back of his neck. “Oh,” he began eloquently. “Well, wow. Talking to you guys is a lot easier when you aren’t bunched together.” He heard laughter from that, which he took to be a good sign. He locked eyes with Ven, who gave him two thumbs up and aggressively shoved them back and forth from his chest.

“Starting next year, I’ll be setting up a system of communication between all of us,” Sora said, finding footing in his ideas. “It’ll be a measure of safety and will connect us to The Land of Departure’s keyblade wielders and Master Yen Sid’s tower.” He nodded to Yen Sid, who returned the gesture. “My hope is, over time, we’ll be able to focus more on exchanging knowledge, technology, and our cultures.”

He passed his eyes over Cinderella to see Donald staring at him in disbelief and confusion. It took everything Sora had not to burst out laughing. “In any case, we’ll be establishing our home base in Radiant Garden’s castle. So, starting next year, if you need something and don’t know who or where to turn to, don’t hesitate to come to us.” 

He was feeling calm until he locked eyes with Riku. Heart skipping a beat as his head struggled to continue his speech. “So, if it’s alright with the King, I’d like to propose a toast.” 

King Mickey grinned at him and nodded, clapping at his servers. Sora watched Riku as the waiters deftly passed out drinks in flutes. He equally distracted Riku with his stare, who took a glass without looking. 

Leon nudged Sora to attention and handed him a flute. Sora nodded in thanks. 

“Okay,” Sora grinned, veins full of adrenaline. “To Christmas! May you have love, peace, and time to enjoy them both.” He raised his glass and felt a thrill when the entire room did the same. A litany of ‘here here’s’ and ‘cheers’ flooded the stage as he turned to clink glasses with King Mickey, Yen Sid, and Leon. They formed a strange huddle as Sora exhaled bodily. 

“You did good,” Leon praised, taking a sip. “Surprisingly good.” 

“Not surprisingly,” King Mickey disagreed. “Sora was always meant to lead.” 

The statement warmed Sora from the inside out. He took a sip of his drink to chase the feeling away, wanting to remain professional in front of the three men he looked up to. 

“And Sora,” Yen Sid said, getting his attention. “If you do desire to take the mark of mastery, I believe you would be ready. As long as you don’t put it above your other duties, I think having that title would do nothing but good.” 

Sora laughed disbelievingly. “Yeah, okay. Maybe when we get all the pieces settled next year, I’ll think about taking it.” Maybe. 

“Sorry to have taken over your night,” King Mickey laughed. “Why don’t you go celebrate now? I’m sure your friends are dying to know what happened. I think I saw Riku slip in during our announcement.” 

Sora flushed at the mention of Riku. “O-oh, yeah. You’re right. See you guys around!” 

He left the stage, passing through the crowd and receiving many, many congratulations. Elsa tackled him in a hug and told him she was proud, which lead to a solid half hour of conversation that Anna, Princess Jasmine, and Hercules joined. He was listening to Herc’s story about his first trip to Thebes when the orchestra began playing music, indicating that it was time to dance. Sora smiled at the sight of couples navigating the space gracefully, nodding at Aladdin as he retrieved Jasmine to join in. 

“Wanna dance with me?” Anna asked him, jumping in excitement. “Please, please, please?!” 

How could he have said no? “Ok, but I’m warning you. I’m still new at this!” he said, putting his hand on her waist and trying to remember what Ryder taught him. 

Anna guided him through the steps cheerfully, making Sora laugh in delight as they moved in tandem with the other couples. Once they got used to it, Anna cleared her throat. “So, Sora," she prompted, pausing to spin away and then returning. “How’re things with you and Riku?” 

“Um, good?” Sora asked, confused. “Why do you ask?” 

“He promised me he’d do something and I don’t think he did,“ she said cryptically, making Sora raise his eyebrows. “Did you know all he could talk about in Arendelle was you? It was all, Sora would like this and Sora would do that. Or did you see what Sora was wearing before he left? Don’t you think his haircut makes him look more mature?” Anna snorted. “I kinda felt bad for separating you two.”

Sora blushed. “He was talking about me?” he asked, searching the crowd for Riku as they spun across the ballroom together. “Was it because I worried him?”

Anna patted his head. “Oh Sora, you two are gonna need the universe itself to bring you two together. Or, you know. A dance.” She smiled, stopping their movements and gesturing behind him. 

Sora turned, seeing Riku up close and in his full, formal outfit glory. And of course, it was all black. He wasn’t wearing a vest like Sora was, nor a tie. The first couple of buttons were undone, but unlike Axel it actually looked sharp. God, Sora lamented in his head. Why was he so attractive? 

“Sorry for interrupting,” Riku said to Anna, though his eyes stayed on Sora. “Can I cut in?” 

“Yeah! Of course,” Anna said, pushing Sora into Riku’s very nice arms. “Have fun you two!”

As if on cue, a new song began to play. Riku silently wrapped an arm around Sora’s waist, the other gently taking his hand. Sora gulped at their proximity and the intensity of Riku’s eyes. His friend made the first step, and Sora followed. 

Dancing with Riku was a lot like fighting him. Sora felt the heat of challenge at every step, Riku’s expectation as his arm swung him carefully through their footwork. Their eyes searched one another’s, looking for something while they gracefully weaved through and around other couples. 

“This is how it should’ve been,” Riku murmured when Sora returned from a spin. “In Arendelle. It should have been me dancing with you,” he elaborated, hand grasping the shorter boy tightly. “I will not make that mistake again.” 

“You really didn’t like Ryder, did you?” Sora half-joked, heart rate increasing from Riku’s low voice. 

“I don’t like it,” Riku began to explain, pulling him even closer. “when people try to take something from me.” 

Sora looked up at him coquettishly, “Oh? I’m yours now, am I?” 

His best friend seemed started at the action, eyes clearing into surprise before shifting into something calculating. He slowed their dancing to an abrupt stop, pushing their faces dangerously close before purring, “Haven’t you always been?” 

Sora died again, he was sure. Was this flirting? Were they flirting? Riku kept their proximity, smile fading into a smirk he always wore when he thought he had the upper hand. 

Fuck that. 

“I thought so, but you seem to be having trouble showing me," Sora threw back, leaning his face up so that their lips barely, barely brushed together. “So I guess you aren’t interested!" he said loudly, pulling back with a grin and leaping into the crowd. 

He laughed breathlessly, disappearing into a hallway and turning a random corner. It was quieter out here, which wouldn’t give him a noise cover that he had back in the ballroom. Sora came across the stairs and bypassed them, hearing rapid footsteps. A thrill ran up his spine as he rounded the stairs to a small, hidden alcove. Sora smiled, looking out the window opposite the small wooden table and blue couch. This was a good place to wait while Riku searched for him. 

Motion outside the window caught his attention, so he pressed his face closer to the windowpane to observe. Snow was falling peacefully outside, flakes illuminated by the blue and red lights just beyond the glass. Sora gasped as arms encompassed his waist and a chest pressed heavily against his back. 

“Found you,” Riku whispered, trailing his lips from Sora’s ear down his neck teasingly. 

Blushing profusely, Sora turned in Riku’s arms and leaned against the sill. “You always will.” 

They smiled at each other goofily. Sora had his answer, and everything was perfect. 

Riku glanced left and right as if he were searching for what to say before withdrawing a box from his pocket. “Got this for you,” he said, not making eye contact. 

It was simple enough, a long wooden thing the size of his hand wrapped with a simple gleaming gold bow. Riku had gotten him a gift, he silently celebrated. 

“Are you going to open it or?” Riku asked indifferently, attention strangely trained to the ceiling. Sora flickered knowing eyes up toward his nervous best friend. That meant whatever was in the box was something really, really, mushy. Sora’s favorite kind of gift from the frowny boy in front of him. 

Sora pulled the ribbon deftly, letting it untangle and spiral. Oh, that was going on him for sure. He took the ribbon and tapped at Riku expectantly. “Can you put this on me?” he asked, holding out his wrist. 

“You’re dressed the fanciest I’ve ever seen you and you want me to tie a piece of string to you?” Riku raised an eyebrow at him, but reached over and tied it anyway. Sora smiled at Riku’s concentrated face so close to him as his taller friend bent down his head and furrowed his brows. “Alright, there.” He said, tapping at Sora’s now-festive wrist. “Now open the actual present, you doof.” 

Sora smiled and did, mouth freezing in shock and delight and what?! “Riku!” he said, looking up to his best friend’s searching face. “Riku it’s!” Sora began, searching for words. “You found it!” he gushed, taking an intricately carved bear out of the box. “Riku!” he said again, for a lack of anything better to say.

Riku laughed. “Good, I was hoping you still wanted one. Asked Anna about it when you were off with Elsa. There’s apparently a royal carver? Whatever, he did this one for you. If you look really closely-”

“My crown!” Sora gasped at his necklace’s symbol on the back of the bear. 

“Yeah,” Riku smiled, coming closer to look at it too. “That’s usually where the royal insignia goes, so I figured we’d make this yours.” 

“I’m not royalty Riku,” Sora chided. 

“Then why are you going to be living in a castle? Watching over the whole universe?” Riku argued. “Which, by the way, I thought we weren’t going to have secrets?”

Sora gaped at him, scrambling for an excuse. “It wasn’t a secret! They told me about it like three seconds before I was on that stage! Seriously Riku I’d never-” 

“Geez,” Riku cut him off, ruffling his hair distractingly. “Calm down! I think it’s amazing Sora. The universe needs you. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the wielder you have in permanent residence.”

“Riku,” he said excitedly, placing the bear back in its home. “Can we really do that?! It’d be so cool.” 

“We’ll try, “Riku said, gently caressing his cheek. “But we still have something to talk about.”

And Sora knew he was talking about his confession of love and their newfound affection. Sora stared up into Riku’s eyes and took a small, wrapped gift out of his inside blazer pocket. “Um,” he began uncertainly, offering the present. “Here.” 

Riku took it gently and slowly, their hands touching briefly and igniting small sparks that travelled down Sora’s whole body. The other boy said nothing as he unwrapped the box and opened the lid. Sora busied himself with looking out at the peaceful, white landscape. 

“Sora?” Riku said more than asked, lifting the silver chain to look at the heart pendant in the light. 

“If there’s any part of you,” Sora said, voice shaking. Be brave, be brave, he chanted to himself. “If there’s any part of you that wants it, my heart is yours.” 

It felt good to tell Riku how he felt to his face, after all these years of denying it and then accepting it, only to deny it again when fear won over his conviction. “I love you,” he added, just in case Riku didn’t understand. Sora swallowed when he felt a weight leave him, smiling shakily as he recognized it as his heart station finally being completely filled. He loved Riku more than he thought he could love anything. He got mushy and emotional and sappy when he thought about it, the things that Riku had been through and done for him and the fact that he was still standing in front of Sora.

“Sora,” Riku called, taking Sora’s hand for attention. 

Sora’s head snapped up, groaning internally at the slight blur in the bottom of his vision. Riku searched his eyes and smiled the softest smile he’d ever seen on his stoic friend’s face, bringing Sora’s palm up and pressing it to his heart.

“Fair is fair,” he whispered, face so close to Sora that he could feel the breath from his words fan across his nose. “Want to dive into my heart?” 

What? Sora glanced up incredulously. “Wait, really?” 

“Yeah,” Riku said, keeping his voice soft. “Really.” 

Sora stared up at him, searching his eyes for any kind of hesitation or fear. When he found none, he blindly summoned Ever After and brought it between them. “Are you sure?”

Riku glanced down at the weapon and released Sora’s hand to grasp its edge, directing it right above his heart. “More than anything.” 

And then they both dove. 

He’d seen Riku’s heart station before, but he couldn’t figure out where. As soon as his feet touched down, he admired his friend’s - boyfriend’s? - whole and healthy station. 

“The only thing is,” Riku said from behind him. “I won’t be able to see what you see.” 

Sora turned and smiled toothily at Riku. “That’s okay.” 

“For you, yeah,” Riku scoffed, sitting down above his stained glass self’s chest. “Get over here.” 

Sora did, mimicking Riku and sitting down across from him. 

Riku licked his lips and gestured to the space between them. “If you press your hand here, I think you’ll understand.” 

“Understand what?” Sora asked, preemptive love bursting inside of him. 

“Just do it,” Riku rolled his eyes, leaning back on his hands. 

Sora did, gasping at a million emotions that coursed through him. They focused suddenly, and Sora could see memories. Memories of him and Riku playing on the play island, going to school, giggling under the covers way past their bedtime. He felt the weight Riku carried around long before the islands fell, and how it seemed to disappear with fondness whenever he’d grin at Riku or take his hand. He felt the fear and betrayal of finding Sora had replaced him in Traverse Town, a widely inaccurate perspective, and the darkness that rooted because his light had decided to shine elsewhere. 

Sora followed that negativity all the way to their battles against one another until the moment Riku snapped out of it and decided that Sora should shine for whoever he wanted. Riku realized he didn’t own him. It hadn’t been fair to treat Sora that way. Sora felt the relief of Riku being freed from Ansem, followed closely by sorrow and conviction when he and Sora closed the door to darkness together. But something else accompanied Riku’s feelings as Sora watched his younger self close the door. A small tingling sensation, like interest or admiration or - 

Oh. 

It grew alongside grief as if they were of the same stem, watching Sora comatose in the floating pod. Then anger, indignation, at Diz, at Namine and Roxas that ran through him but couldn’t find a place to call home, disappearing into emptiness. And then he saw himself upon waking, running through Twilight Town and Land of Dragons haphazardly. He felt Riku’s desperation to reach him, the aching, sticky residue of a betrayal Riku felt he could never fix. And then came The World that Never Was, Sora’s tears and drop to his knees. The desperation and admiration exploded into a feeling Sora now knew well - all encompassing devotion and love. Loyalty, protectiveness, desire. 

And then they were on the beach in the realm of darkness, and Riku didn’t feel bad about being stuck there forever. So long as he had Sora with him, he could be anything, do anything, without complaint. 

“We’ll go together,” Sora had said to Riku, hand outstretched in an offer. And all the emotions Riku felt then felt an awful lot like a nonverbal ‘always, with you.’ 

And Sora felt his excitement and worry about being able to dive into his dreams, his heart. The need to protect it from people and things that didn’t belong there. The no-small amount of pride that came with being Sora’s dream eater. 

How perfect the song they made together was. 

Sora braced himself for the time period he’d left to bring Kairi back from death. How had Riku handled his extended absence? He’d been curious ever since he’d returned. But Sora almost withdrew his hand from the station when a wave of despair hit him, followed by a gentler wave of faith - faith in Sora to find Kairi and come back alive. When Kairi returned and Sora didn’t, Riku felt nothing. An emptiness reigned over his mind, body, and soul, replaced suddenly with determination. 

And Sora knew that he had cried when they hugged that day he returned from Shibuya, knew that Riku had shed a few tears in relief too, but the amount of relief and love that radiated from his best friend in that moment was incredible. 

A hand moved his from Riku’s platform, abruptly stopping the feed. Sora whined, pouting at Riku. “I’m not done.” 

“Oh yes you are,” Riku respond, face bright red. “I don’t know what you’re seeing but it’s been a really long time.” 

Sora glared and wrenched his hand out of Riku’s grasp, touching the platform again. There were bursts of adoration and fondness as Sora grinned at him outside the Mysterious Tower. Jolts of love as they sparred on the islands, smirking at each other in challenge. The anticipation he felt when he’d send Sora a text or comment on his Kingstagram. Attraction bloomed as he descended the stairs with Elsa in Arendelle, clad in the formalwear she’d made him. 

And then, Sora was seeing his own heart station. If it was even possible, Riku’s love became stronger, deeper, as he witnessed Sora fall apart in front of him, hidden memories finally coming to light. When Sora confessed his love inadvertently, Riku’s heart had leaped. 

Sora lifted his hand off the station, smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt. “You love me,” he accused, making direct eye-contact with his best friend. 

“Yeah, a little,” Riku admitted, feigning disinterest. 

“A little?” Sora asked, eyes wide. “I don’t think so. I think you love me an entire world’s worth.”

Riku flushed and sat up straight. “Shut up, you love me too, you goddamn sap.” 

“I’m the sap? Mr. I’m going to pine over my friend and never tell him how I feel for two years?” Sora scoffed. “You were keeping secrets long before I was.” 

“Yeah,” Riku admitted. “But for the same reasons you kept yours.” 

They stared at each other for a moment, minds catching up with their hearts as they processed the fact that they loved one another. 

“Sora,” Riku chuckled fondly. “Don’t cry, it’s okay.” He scooted closer and wiped the tear with the edge of his thumb, cradling Sora’s jaw. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“You still haven’t,” Sora responded, blinking away another traitorous tear. “You still haven’t told me.” 

Riku looked confused for a moment before bringing their foreheads together lightly, staring into his watery eyes so fondly that Sora melted. 

“Sora,” Riku whispered, the same way he used to when they planned sleepovers during class. 

“Hm?” Sora responded, blinking to gain a clearer vision of Riku’s eyes. 

“I love you.” 

And, just, everything was very overwhelming and yet not enough at all. Sora pulled away and retreated from Riku’s station, slamming back into his corporeal form in a split second. He waited until Riku opened his own eyes, a question forming on his lips that didn’t have time to be asked.

Sora pressed his lips against them instead, filled so fully with knowledge that Riku had loved him all this time. He felt like he was floating. Riku dove into their kiss, tilting his head for better access and tangling a hand behind Sora’s neck. 

Sora whimpered as Riku pressed him closer. This was what all the fuss was about, he dimly realized as they separated for breath. He gave Riku exactly three seconds before leaning in again, this time more confidently. Riku returned the action, tugging him backwards to the couch until Sora was on top of him. 

“Sor,” Riku muttered between a flurry of short, sweet kisses. “We have to go back to the ballroom soon.” 

“No we don’t,” Sora answered, taking a page from Riku’s book and trailing kisses down his neck. Riku groaned and angled it for better access. 

“Yeah, we do,” he breathed, using a finger to lift Sora’s chin up and away from his neck. “They’ll all wonder where we went.” 

Sora whined. “Riku, I’ve been waiting for this for so long-”

“I know,” Riku giggled, honest-to-god giggled. “Me too. But we have all the time in the world to do this after.” 

“All our lives,” Sora added. Dizziness overshadowing any kind of doubt he had about them as a team, as friends, as _lovers_. 

“Yeah,” Riku agreed, caressing Sora’s cheek and smiling as the younger boy leaned into the action, eyes closed. “We have forever.” 

“Riku,” Sora asked, eyes still closed. 

“Hmm?” Riku responded, voice still deep and soft the way Sora liked it. 

“Does this mean our anniversary is on Christmas?” 

He heard Riku groan and opened his eyes, smiling. “We picked the worst time, didn’t we?” 

Riku flicked this forehead. “You picked it, you goof.” 

“Did not!” Sora protested, pinching Riku’s arm. 

“Did too,” Riku insisted, poking Sora’s ticklish sides. 

Sora screeched and leapt off of his friend - no - his boyfriend. “We were having a romantic moment! You ruined it!” 

Riku rolled his eyes and stood, smoothing out his blazer idly. “Alright then, help me fix it.” He took out Sora’s present and wordlessly handed it over. 

Sora grinned, heart still beating too fast, and hooked it around Riku’s neck. He placed his hand over the pendant when it fell perfectly between the unbuttoned collar. “You’ll always have me, Riku.”

Riku’s fingers grasped the crown necklace on his vest and smiled. “And I’ll always be by your side.” 

  
  


They broke the news to their friends exactly three minutes later, flushing with embarrassment as the overall sentiment was a full-bodied “finally.” They ate good food and lounged, talked about everything and nothing as Sora held Riku’s hand. They all danced, changing partners on the floor until Riku refused to let Sora go with anyone else but him. 

Sora felt floaty, light, as if he were in a dream where everything good happened and he knew it would last. Here, looking at the grand Christmas tree at Disney Castle, Sora realized the ornaments he’d been collecting would be perfect for next Christmas at Radiant Garden’s castle. How better to celebrate the coming together of worlds? He was warm, and optimistic, and excited for his new life. As long as he had Riku by his side, he mused, staring lovingly at his boyfriend across the room, he could face his fears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Originally there wasn't a dance scene or a Riku deep dive but then I was like - that'd be hot.  
> Also Ven drinks more eggnog and has go home with a stomach ache. 
> 
> If I managed to, at any point in this series, get you to smile crazily at your phone please tell me. Legitimately, that is my goal. 
> 
> Happy Holidays!  
> RMB


End file.
